Hallopalooza Scavenger Hunt!

The Scavenger Hunt is officially over! Winners announced tomorrow!

In honor of Halloween, WOOF is participating in the HALLOPALOOZA SCAVENGER HUNT!

To join in the fun, all you have to do is go to the Stiletto Gang Blog, and begin the hunt! We have clue # 23, but remember, you'll need to start at the beginning on the Stiletto Gang Blog in order to qualify for the grand prize - A $50.00 gift certificate good at any book store!

Now, here's the clue!

WOOF - Clue #23

"Dr. Trent, thank you for seeing me." Milla had arranged to meet the doctor at a small café near the clinic where he had offices. "I didn't think doctors worked on Sundays."

"Normally I don't, but my schedule was turned upside down with the murder investigation."

"How long have you and your wife been married?"

"Three years – almost."

"And what's your relationship with G. Winston Howard?" She'd asked him this question before at the mansion, but she suspected he'd been holding back.

"He's my wife's ex-husband."

Okay, she'd push a little harder. Time was running out. "I asked what your relationship was with him, not your wife's."

He sighed. "You know about the loan he gave me?"

Milla hadn't, but she nodded anyway. She'd suspected the two men had done business together, but she'd been thinking the doctor was an investor in one of G. Winston Howard's failed property development companies.

"I settled a malpractice case; my insurance didn't cover all of it. Winston loaned me the balance – only condition was I couldn't tell Diana where the money came from."

"Your wife really doesn't know?"

"No. She'd approached Winston through Carla about the matter several weeks ago. Carla passed on his negative response several days before the ball."

"Yet he eventually gave you the loan? Why?"

"I'm not sure. Saturday morning he just walked up and offered."

"Saturday morning? This Saturday?"

He nodded and Milla was left to wonder if that was what G. Winston Howard was doing when she first arrived at the crime scene. Had he called the police, called her, then broke out his checkbook? Why? Maybe Carla had lied to Diana just to yank her chain. Maybe G. Winston Howard had always intended to help his ex-wife.

'One more question – describe your costume – what did you wear to the Halloween Ball?"

"Green hospital scrubs." He blushed. "Not very original, I know."

No. not very original, Milla agreed. But the information was helpful. His scrubs were nothing like a black cape and witches' mask.

Next Clue (#24) Location - We're sending you back to the Stiletto Gang Blog

So, let the search begin!

The Scavenger Hunt begins 8 am ET, Friday, October 30.
It will end 5 pm ET, Sunday, November 1.

Winners will be announced at noon ET on Monday, November 2 at the Stiletto Gang blog site.

But, don't think WOOF is sending you out of here empty-handed. Simply post a comment on the WOOF blog to be eligible for our drawing!

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Just Wear Your Hat and Gloves

Recently some women in my “over fifty five” neighborhood were discussing the fact that our society has become too casual. We talked about how we missed the “glove and hat” events of our youth.

So we all decided to have an old fashioned “women only” tea party at our clubhouse.
Everyone was asked to bring her own special teacup. In addition, guests were invited to wear hats and gloves if they wanted to do so.

We had little sandwiches, flavored hot teas, and of course, sweets! There were gloves of all lengths and colors, too. But most of us quickly shed our gloves as we discovered (and remembered!) how cumbersome they can be.

Some women wore hats they had purchased many years ago, while others creatively decorated new garden hats. The favorite older model was a green pillbox hat that featured an alluring black net. One woman wore a jeweled white cowboy hat, while another wore a hat completely covered with roses. She topped off the outfit with a rose scarf and even brought a teacup featuring roses.

We all agreed that it was fun to play dress up again. A good time was had by all and we can’t wait to do it again!

Melinda

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Run With The Wind, Baxter!

Baxter's final picture (posted by his mom, Melissa Joseph on Baxiboo's Blog)

I was touched by the story of Baxter who, at the end of his life, gave so much back to hospice patients at the end of theirs. Baxter died OCT 16, at the age of 19 1/2. He'll always be in our hearts.

Moments with Baxter is a collection of touching, true stories about the poignant connection between Baxter, an 19-year-old therapy dog, and the hospice patients and their families to whom he brings comfort and love.

During the last six years, Baxter has helped hundreds of patients ease out of their lives with dignity and peace. His uncanny intuition and almost human responsiveness demonstrates the unique and inextricable bond between human and dog.



All proceeds from the book, Moments With Baxter, will be donated to charitable causes that support hospice and therapy dog training.

Purchase now on Amazon.

Baxter's Blog

Special thanks to Frankie and Barbara Techel at Joyful Paws, for making WOOF aware of this story.

Run free with the wind in Heaven, dear angel, Baxter!
Mary (Milkbone)

Weigh In A Caption!

Congrats to Chris for her caption, "Now I know how much my feet weigh."

I agree with you. Not sure this cartoon even needs a caption!

Still, I bet you all will come up with some heavy contenders!

Leave your caption as a comment!

(And our thanks to whoever dreamed up this illustration!)

-- Diana

www.DianaBlack.net


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Let The Sun Shine!

Thanks, all you weather experts, for being wrong!

The weather forecast looked and sounded ominous. 80% chance of rain all day Saturday, and Sunday was looking "iffy." I packed books, yellow slicker and rolls and rolls of plastic and paper towels for my trip to Carrollton, GA for the annual MeccaFest weekend art festival.

We (Diana, Bev and Jay) set up around 9:00AM; books, bookmarks, posters - all of which don't fare well when drenched with water. Then we waited. Dark clouds gathered and it started sprinkling - just a few drops - around 10:00AM, opening time for the festival. Looks like the forecast was right. We pulled tables into the middle of our tent and dug for the plastic covers.

But, then, a miracle! It stopped spitting! We were all thankful, but wary. Remember, those meteorologists were dead-sure. It would rain on Saturday and rain all day. So, we waited, and waited. All morning and all afternoon we searched the skies. Closing time 5:00PM, was drawing close and precisely at that time, it started spitting rain again! We didn't care. A successful day of selling and schmoozing with patrons had come and gone...with no rain.

A lesson learned: "Don't borrow trouble," my great-aunt Sally always used to say. Next time some wet-nosed weatherman says a day I'm planning to spend outside signing and selling books is sure to be a total washout, I'll smile thinking of the beautiful, sun-shiny day ahead.

Mary Cunningham (Milkbone)

Get your copy of WOOF Today!

And, watch for Accentuate the Pawsitive - Coming Soon!

Mary Cunningham Books

WOOF & Cheap Cabernet: A Friendship

Life + Lemons = Lemonade. Yeah, that was one option.

But together vivacious Cathie Beck and her free-spirited sidekick Denise Katz put a whole new twist on making the most of life.

For the entirety of their four-year friendship—from Chez Universalle Natural-Beauty Training to the illegal trip to Cuba to the redneck bars and Horace Bros. Prosthetics and Ambulatories—these two laughed, cried and even, at times, had the courage to despise one another, all the while trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored.

Readers who have a taste for lemonade or fruit of the vine will savor every drop of this affecting memoir, Cheap Cabernet: A Friendship. It’s huge. It’s magnificent. It’s priceless.

Read more at www.CathieBeck.com & on October 6th only, with any purchase, the author is offering lots of free bonus gifts! Including a free download from WOOF -- Accentuate the Pawsitive!
--Diana

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Home is Where the Heart Is

Tom and I recently traveled back to my old hometown, Murfreesboro, Tennessee. I wanted to introduce him to my friends. It was particularly important to me for them to see that I was happy again. When I left three years ago, I was a recent widow, and my heart and my life were still pretty shattered at that point.

It was great to see everyone and I did have a few bittersweet moments, like when I saw the home Sid and I had shared for almost twelve years. But overall, it was a great visit.

The words from one of my favorite Rascal Flatts songs, My Wish, came to mind: I hope you never look back but you never forget all the ones who love you and the place you left.”

I felt like I wasn’t looking back—rather I was enjoying visiting and fondly remembering friends who love me and the place I left. But that was the best part—it was a visit. I no longer felt like Murfreesboro was home. It was closure. As we drove away, I was anxious to get back to my home in Texas—where my heart is.

Melinda